7mm-08 for Alaska Bear

[Juneau07]

I’d have to agree with your guide. It’s not a matter of the 7mm08 killing the bear… it will kill the thing just fine. The larger caliber is for the terrain, not the bear. POW gets 13 ft of rain a year. You can’t imagine how wet you can get until you’ve been in a true Southeast Alaska rain for your entire hunt. I’ll assume you’ll be shooting your bear on a beach…If the bear makes it to the woods, your chances of finding it go down dramatically. The moss up here soaks up blood and no red is left on the ground. The wet leaves on bushes do not hold as much blood as you’d think. On average, larger calibers will kill your bear faster. Your guide just wants the bear dead before it makes it to the woods. A nice new .338 win will do that faster than your 7mm08 with same shot placement. Like I said, it’s for the terrain, not the bear. Searching for blood in wet moss during a downpour, with devils club sticking you in the ass and everywhere else is not fun.

 

[Moose83]

In all honesty I don't know if they were hit properly.... in most of those situations it was more like I got a phone call " hey I shot a bear but I can't find it, wanna help." Almost all the time the conversation was " I don't know what happened I shot it in the shoulder and it went straight down. When I got there it was gone..." . Like I said I don't have as much experience as some on here... Im only saying what I've seen. Also I've mainly used a .30-06 on most of the bears ive shot and after field dressing them it seemed largely overkill hence my endorsement of the 7-08. That being said the one bear I've shot with my 9.3x62 never went anywhere except straight down. This is a forum... so take my opinion with as many grains of salt as you need☺

 

[Marbles]

In all honesty I don't know if they were hit properly.... in most of those situations it was more like I got a phone call " hey I shot a bear but I can't find it, wanna help." Almost all the time the conversation was " I don't know what happened I shot it in the shoulder and it went straight down. When I got there it was gone..." . Like I said I don't have as much experience as some on here... Im only saying what I've seen. Also I've mainly used a .30-06 on most of the bears ive shot and after field dressing them it seemed largely overkill hence my endorsement of the 7-08. That being said the one bear I've shot with my 9.3x62 never went anywhere except straight down. This is a forum... so take my opinion with as many grains of salt as you need☺

Fare.

This is a story I probably should not share on a forum, I missed a nice bore from 10 feet (perhaps less) away. He was not where I expected on a stalk and I realized he was on the other side of a large tree a couple seconds before he realized I was there. When he realized I was there he turned to run and rather than letting him go like I should have I tried to run around the tree and shoot him like a trigger happy dumbass. Turns out a 30-06 will not get the job done if you miss.

Thankfully before the day was over I took one from 25 meters and he ran less than 15 feet before piling up.

Anyway, after my soup sandwich performance in the morning it certainly was tempting to blame anything but myself. Which is what motivated my question as I know a few people who loose animals, but have never missed anything in their life.

 

[Rich M]

The best way to start your paid for guided hunt is to tell the outfitter and guide they are wrong for suggesting a bigger caliber!

How many on here have actually hunted POW? Multiple times? It’s not a baited hunt with close shots and time to pick your angle…. I am sure the outfitter has seen lost bears

But the interweb told me it was ok

LOL! It's Alaska for you need a .338 or whatever you shoot won't die. Just poking.

You make a point that a lot of guys can't shoot worth a hoot - so they need a bigger gun. Black bears aren't big or armor plated but folks do make bad shots during the heat of the moment.

Guy doesn't feel like buying a single use gun. I can't blame him. Also don't see it as complaining. He asked a question.

How about if he uses a 223 with TMK bullet? or anything out of a 6.5 CM? We know those two kill better than anything else - something about SD.

In all honesty - if someone can't kill a black bear with a 140 gr bullet, he/she/they shouldn't be hunting.

 

[Rich M]

I think you should let us know what your outfitter recommends? I would get on their good side.

Get on their good side? Tell em they'll get an extra $500 if they can put you on a decent bear at a reasonable range. They'll make it happen.

 

[manitou1]

You're spending all that money on a guided Alaskan bear hunt and you're worried about $500-700 for a bigger gun?
I'm 100% sure you could kill a big black bear with a 7-08 if you make a solid hit, I'm also sure there are better tools for the task.
Your guide has seen hunts go FUBAR I guarantee it, take his advice..

Thick ass country screams big slow heavy bullet, I've seen really bad stuff happen when a fast moving light bullet hits a twig.
Someone referenced killing bears with a bow, perfect example of a tool that's exceptionally deadly with frigging perfect shot placement.
I don't even want to know how many stuck elk run off and die due to poor hits, I won't lie its happened to me. Worst feeling in the world

While sitting on the ground, I rattled in a buck one time that responded and came 12 yards from me. He was standing broadside in a stand of pencil-sized twigs. Not really thick stuff, evenly spaced.
I shot my 30-06 three times at him while he stood there. Why he just stood there, I dunno. After the third shot, he took off running, then stopped about 50 yards away and I dropped him with a hit behind the shoulder. That was the only bullet to hit him! I was using (very accurate) 180 grain handloads.
Bullets deflect off brush, no matter their weight.
For the 7mm-08: I have never killed a POW bear with any of mine, but have killled sizeable muleys, whitetail, and antelope at ranges past 600 yards with them... with 120 grain and 140 grain handloads. The 7mm-08 IS a .308 necked to .284... and faster with great killing ability.

 

[ElPollo]

There seems to be a whole lot of assuming what the guide wants in this thread, but you are the only one talking to him. My suggestion is talk to him a little more and us a little less. If I were to add to the pile of assumptions here, I’d bet he’ll tell you to bring the biggest gun that you can shoot accurately and still carry around all day. If that’s a 7-08, I will also bet that with good bullets it will do the job if you do yours. Good luck and have fun. Those coastal black bear hunts look like a really great time.

 

[wildwilderness]

I’d have to agree with your guide. It’s not a matter of the 7mm08 killing the bear… it will kill the thing just fine. The larger caliber is for the terrain, not the bear. POW gets 13 ft of rain a year. You can’t imagine how wet you can get until you’ve been in a true Southeast Alaska rain for your entire hunt. I’ll assume you’ll be shooting your bear on a beach…If the bear makes it to the woods, your chances of finding it go down dramatically. The moss up here soaks up blood and no red is left on the ground. The wet leaves on bushes do not hold as much blood as you’d think. On average, larger calibers will kill your bear faster. Your guide just wants the bear dead before it makes it to the woods. A nice new .338 win will do that faster than your 7mm08 with same shot placement. Like I said, it’s for the terrain, not the bear. Searching for blood in wet moss during a downpour, with devils club sticking you in the ass and everywhere else is not fun.

This is my point- the recommendation is situational

A Non-Resident POW hunt is harder to come by, you either have to draw the tag 2 yrs out and pay for a transporter or drive and ferry and maybe a boat rental-, or pay a guide to get a tag, and work out the logistics

Furthermore there are strict wounding LAWs in the books ( for a reason) specifically for that region since it unfortunately happens more than people admit.

if money is a problem buying a new rifle I’ll let you borrow one your guide approves of!

 

[awildswanger]

Third generation Alaska resident raising fourth generation residents in Palmer, Alaska currently.

With the single shot 7-08's that we recently put together for the kids, they've taken 7-8 caribou, 3 sheep, 5 goats, and a smaller grizzly.

My daughter was 9 years old when she shot her first grizzly with a .270WIN. One shot dropped it like a ton of bricks.

Personally I've only killed one bear with a rifle, all the rest have been archery.

Uhh… that sounds amazing. Keep on keeping on!

 

[dieNqvrs]

A few years ago My 10 year old son drew a Kodiak bear tag as his first tag ever. I mulled over the caliber and gun for him to use. I settled on a 7mm-08 in Remington Model 7 stainless shooting partitions in 140 grain. We practiced a year with that gun. When the time came he was comfortable and he Smoked it double lung and bullet under hide on far side. Ran 20 yards and died. Stood up as a spectator after first shot. 9’3” 26 1/2” skull. 7 year old boar.

He has since shot a moose, muskox and caribou with that rifle.

Not lots of gun, but put it where it counts and it will kill them dead.

 

[Sako76]

I've seen a couple of northeast PA. black bears killed with a 7-08 and a 150 grain Nosler Partition. It does the job rather well, biggest bear being about 300 lbs.

 

[MrRogers]

Update: I spoke with the guide again and he recommended either 338 win mag or 375 h&h for the exact reasons listed by you all in this thread (i.e. not having the bear make it off of the beach). I went ahead and ordered Ruger M77 Hawkeye chambered in 375 Ruger. It should show up at my FFL next week. Thanks again guys!

 

[alaskalund]

Taken 2 with a .270. Placement is so key. Tracking can be tough too because the fat and hair (even in Spring) will turn great blood into next to nothing. Whatever you are going to make the best shot with? Who are you going with?

 

[Theringworm]

I just got back last week from SE Alaska on a black bear hunt. Guide required a 375 H&H or bigger. I thought it was overkill but those were the requirements and as a paying hunter if I wanted to hunt with them I either played by their rules or found a different outfitter. I shot my 7’5” boar on a river that was 15 yds wide surrounded by the densest rainforest one could imagine. It was 1700 in the evening and raining. Boar was 60 yds broadside. Shooting Buffalo Bore Barnes TSX 300 grain ammo. Bullet went straight through both lungs and half the heart. Zero attempt at a second shot. He was gone in less than 2 seconds. He made a death moan roughly 15 seconds after the shot. It took us 45 minutes to find it after searching in a very thorough “out and back“ pattern working counterclockwise from the river bank back into the interior and to the river behind us (left side of river). The bear had traveled 60 yds from POI and there was no blood trail for the first 30 yds from POI towards the direction he traveled. The entire goal is preventing them from getting to the forest/undergrowth. Is that more easily achieved by shooting a larger caliber. It’s theoretically more likely given that your are delivering greater FtLbs of energy to the animal with a big caliber. Is it always an absolute…..No. Outfitters rules….. no issue here. If I were to go again….. and the outfitter didn’t have any required caliber requirements, without question I am taking my 375 H&H. Can the same result or even better result be achieved with a smaller caliber, absolutely. It ain’t Vegas, but I don’t mind playing the odds Here.

 

[MrRogers]

Taken 2 with a .270. Placement is so key. Tracking can be tough too because the fat and hair (even in Spring) will turn great blood into next to nothing. Whatever you are going to make the best shot with? Who are you going with?

I'll be hunting with Annahootz Alaskan Adventures.

 

[MeatMissile]

Good to see you made a decision!

For the rest of you, think of it this way: Bullets do the killing, not the headstamp. The 7x57 is the ballistic twin of the 7mm-08. The 7x57 has killed bigger, meaner, more dangerous animals than any black bear. Place bullets in vitals and you’ll be fine.

 

[alaskalund]

I just got back last week from SE Alaska on a black bear hunt. Guide required a 375 H&H or bigger. I thought it was overkill but those were the requirements and as a paying hunter if I wanted to hunt with them I either played by their rules or found a different outfitter. I shot my 7’5” boar on a river that was 15 yds wide surrounded by the densest rainforest one could imagine. It was 1700 in the evening and raining. Boar was 60 yds broadside. Shooting Buffalo Bore Barnes TSX 300 grain ammo. Bullet went straight through both lungs and half the heart. Zero attempt at a second shot. He was gone in less than 2 seconds. He made a death moan roughly 15 seconds after the shot. It took us 45 minutes to find it after searching in a very thorough “out and back“ pattern working counterclockwise from the river bank back into the interior and to the river behind us (left side of river). The bear had traveled 60 yds from POI and there was no blood trail for the first 30 yds from POI towards the direction he traveled. The entire goal is preventing them from getting to the forest/undergrowth. Is that more easily achieved by shooting a larger caliber. It’s theoretically more likely given that your are delivering greater FtLbs of energy to the animal with a big caliber. Is it always an absolute…..No. Outfitters rules….. no issue here. If I were to go again….. and the outfitter didn’t have any required caliber requirements, without question I am taking my 375 H&H. Can the same result or even better result be achieved with a smaller caliber, absolutely. It ain’t Vegas, but I don’t mind playing the odds Here.

Nice work! Glad it worked out for you. Where did you end up going?

I've been walking around with my bow the last few weekends in the alpine looking for a berry bear. Haven't had the chance to pull the trigger. Looking for some summer sausage.

 

[Theringworm]

Nice work! Glad it worked out for you. Where did you end up going?

I've been walking around with my bow the last few weekends in the alpine looking for a berry bear. Haven't had the chance to pull the trigger. Looking for some summer sausage.

An Island off the West of Petersburg

 

[alaskalund]

Aah yes. Good hunting in that area. Couple quality options.

 

[MrRogers]

I just got back last week from SE Alaska on a black bear hunt. Guide required a 375 H&H or bigger. I thought it was overkill but those were the requirements and as a paying hunter if I wanted to hunt with them I either played by their rules or found a different outfitter. I shot my 7’5” boar on a river that was 15 yds wide surrounded by the densest rainforest one could imagine. It was 1700 in the evening and raining. Boar was 60 yds broadside. Shooting Buffalo Bore Barnes TSX 300 grain ammo. Bullet went straight through both lungs and half the heart. Zero attempt at a second shot. He was gone in less than 2 seconds. He made a death moan roughly 15 seconds after the shot. It took us 45 minutes to find it after searching in a very thorough “out and back“ pattern working counterclockwise from the river bank back into the interior and to the river behind us (left side of river). The bear had traveled 60 yds from POI and there was no blood trail for the first 30 yds from POI towards the direction he traveled. The entire goal is preventing them from getting to the forest/undergrowth. Is that more easily achieved by shooting a larger caliber. It’s theoretically more likely given that your are delivering greater FtLbs of energy to the animal with a big caliber. Is it always an absolute…..No. Outfitters rules….. no issue here. If I were to go again….. and the outfitter didn’t have any required caliber requirements, without question I am taking my 375 H&H. Can the same result or even better result be achieved with a smaller caliber, absolutely. It ain’t Vegas, but I don’t mind playing the odds Here.

That's good stuff, man. I actually just got some Buffalo Bore 270 grain TSX for my 375 Ruger that I plan on using for the trip. Sounds like you had a great hunt!